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When I was in Japan, I made it a habit to grab some instant ramen in each city that I was at. And I picked this one up at a train stop. The Maruni Foods Akita Suehiro Ramen Honpo Soy Sauce Flavor is based on a real restaurant, Suehiro Ramen Honpo, from Akita, Japan. From what I could piece together through rough translations on the packaging, the brand started as a Chinese-style ramen food stall in front of a train station in 1938.
Produced in Japan by Maruni Foods Co., Ltd.
What’s in the Package
Inside the bag, you’re looking at two individual servings of fresh-style, semi-dried ramen noodles sealed in clear plastic. Unlike the dried blocks we’ve seen, these have a softer, more elastic texture right out of the pack.
You also get two large, heavy silver sachets filled with liquid “Black Shoyu” soup base. The liquid is incredibly dark and concentrated, which is a hallmark of the Akita-style (street stall) taste.
How to Cook Maruni Foods Akita Suehiro Ramen Honpo Soy Sauce Flavor
For the best results with these fresh-style noodles, we recommend a two-pot approach: one for boiling the noodles and a separate bowl for the broth.
- Drop the fresh bundles into a large pot of boiling water. Boil them for about 2 minutes and 30 seconds, or until they’re as firm as you like. Stir them gently so the strands don’t clump together.
- While the noodles are boiling, empty the liquid soup sachet into your serving bowl and mix it with 400ml of boiling water. While the packaging suggests 300ml of water for the soup base, our suggestion is to use more. We found that 400ml hits the sweet spot; the seasoning is very concentrated, and the extra water brings the salt level down to a manageable place.
- Drain the noodles thoroughly and slide them into your prepared broth. Give them a quick swirl.
How Does It Taste
The broth looks rich and dark. It sets up expectations for something deep and heavy. What you actually get is lighter on the palate than the appearance suggests. The soy sauce flavor is prominent but the body is thin at a 1 out of 5 on viscosity. James kept saying it looks like it should be heavier than it is.
The saltiness is the main challenge. At the recommended water level it was intense enough that neither of us could comfortably finish a full bowl. Once we added more water the soy sauce character had room to come through properly. There’s a classic shoyu ramen quality in there. You just have to dial back the salt to find it.
Spice is a mild 1 out of 5. The noodles are thin and wheat-based with a spaghetti-like quality that’s distinctive for a Japanese instant ramen.
How to Level Up Maruni Foods Akita Suehiro Ramen Honpo Soy Sauce Flavor
Chashu is the topping I’d add to it. The packaging itself shows it on the bowl. Braised pork belly brings fat and richness that counterbalances the salt intensity. Bean sprouts and cabbage add crunch and sweetness. I would also add bok choy and a soft-boiled egg.
The bag also has a trick from the shop. Use two-thirds of the soup with about 200ml of hot water for your ramen, then use the rest to stir-fry a bowl of rice with an egg. That’s their popular fried rice.
Final Verdict
There’s a good shoyu ramen in here once you get past the salt. Use more water than the package says and add chashu if you have it.
Tasting Notes
How do I rate my ramen? Check out the Ramen Rating Guide.
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